The ongoing pandemic has forced the film industry to shift their movie releases either to early access or straight to streaming. And now, Warner Bros. is releasing all of their 2021 films on HBO Max alongside their movie theater premieres.
First, the studio announced that Wonder Woman 1984 will premiere in theaters December 25th and on the same day, it will also be available on HBO Max with no additional cost to subscribers.
According to THR’s tweet, the entire Warner Bros. 2021 movie releases premiering on HBO Max include The Suicide Squad, The Matrix 4, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, In the Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Mortal Kombat, and Godzilla vs. Kong. These movies will still be available in movie theaters that are open during the pandemic.
Warner Bros. also emphasized this will only be for their 2021 films and they have no plans of doing the same for 2022. As least that’s the goal right now.
“We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group,” WarnerMedia chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff said in a statement. “No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.”
“With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films,” she continued. “We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we’re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.”
Do you think other studios will follow Warner Bros. and HBO Max’s game-changing move?
Featured Image: Warner Bros.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter/Twitter
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